1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in monitoring and recording apparatus for connection to a telephone line, and more particularly to an apparatus that will record desired information on all outgoing calls made on any phone, or phones which are connected in parallel with the apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Monitoring and recording apparatus which belongs to the same general category as this invention, is already on the market and several patents exist. Among these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,433 by Wheeler and Beusch, and 4,332,982 by Thomas. In the apparatus of Wheeler and Beusch, determination and recording is made of the telephone number called, the duration of the call and the time of the call. A printer prints out the record, and the device may be manually selected for "Touch Tone" or rotary dialed phone monitoring. In the Thomas device, the number dialed, the call duration and the time and date of the call are recorded for printout. Both the Thomas and Wheeler devices are serially connected to telephone devices. The Thomas device also actively controls access to outside lines by disconnecting the telephone instrument if the call is not authorized.
In all the present devices, recording of dialed calls can be defeated easily, usually by a simple "on/off" switch located at the outside of the unit. Furthermore, no provision is made for recording the interruption or disconnection of the device by persons intent on defeating the device.
The Thomas apparatus, which is intended for use with a long distance network, must be installed only at a telephone exchange connected to a subscriber line. The apparatus cannot be connected directly at the subscribers station. On the other hand, the Wheeler and Beusch apparatus suffers from the fact that it can only be installed in series at a subscriber's station. This situation is typical of the monitoring and recording devices currently available. Thus, there exists a need for an improved monitoring and recording apparatus capable of general installation application, and having a non-defeatable recording of all calls made and received.